WRENTHAM - State Rep. Richard Ross said Wednesday he cast a deciding vote against casinos in a committee meeting at the urging of Plainridge Racecourse and his constituents.

Ross, R-Wrentham, said he was leaning toward voting for Gov. Deval Patrick's casino proposal in committee earlier in the day, but calls from Plainridge representatives and Plainville town officials convinced him to vote to recommend defeat of the bill.

Plainridge Racecourse is located in Plainville, one of three towns in Ross' district.

"They are my constituents. I represent them," he said.

The committee vote was 10-8, so each vote in the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee was pivotal. A negative recommendation from a committee means that the bill cannot be amended on the floor. Patrick's proposal calling for the licensing of three casinos could go before the House today and is expected to be defeated because of strong opposition from House Speaker Sal DiMasi, D-Boston, and the committee recommendation.

Plainridge and other racetracks across Massachusetts have been lobbying for years without success to get the state to allow slot machines at their facilities. Plainville town officials see expanded gambling as an inviting source of revenue.

But Ross said the slot machine idea has been defeated before, and will be defeated again.

He said the only hope he saw for the track was to bring the governor's casino bill to the House floor with a positive recommendation from the committee so it could be amended.

Ross said he wanted to work out a compromise so that the bill would be amended to include fewer casinos while allowing slots at tracks.

However, people in his district insisted they did not want to attempt a compromise, so Ross said he voted with their wishes to oppose the bill.

Ross said he was also originally leaning toward voting for a positive recommendation on the bill because it would mean an open debate with amendments would be held.

"As a Republican, an open process is something that appeals to me," he said.

JIM HAND covers politics for The Sun Chronicle. He can be reached at 508-236-0399 or at jhand@thesunchronicle.com.